Do JW's still think Pleiades is God;s eteranal throne?

by bob1999 5 Replies latest jw friends

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  bob1999

  "The constellation of the seven stars forming the Pleiades appears to be the crowning center around which the known systems of the planets revolve even as our sun's planets obey the sun and travel in their respective orbits. It has been suggested, and with much weight, that one of the stars of that group is the dwelling-place of Jehovah and the place of the highest heavens.... "The constellation of the Pleiades is a small one compared with others which scientific instruments disclose to the wondering eyes of man. But the greatness in size of other stars or planets is small when compared with the Pleiades in importance, because the Pleiades is the place of the eternal throne of God" (Reconciliation, p. 14). this is from 1928. And what about "Therefore we may confidently expect that 1925 will mark the return of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob... to the condition of human perfection" (pp. 89-90). from 1920 and "Vaccination has never saved a human life. It does not prevent smallpox" (Golden Age, 4 February 1931, pp. 293-294) I just wonder if these things are still believed. Thanks...
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  Triple A

  Here are quotes that I could find. It is my understanding that they never denied the teaching. The last they supposedly published on this was not a denial, but that they did not want people to start worshipping Pleiades/Alcyone. I have not run across this and do not know where it was supposedly published. Would hopefully some does?

  WTR 05/15/1895 p1814 - "Our solar system of planets is also found to be revolving together around some other great center; and far beyond the farthest limits of our system, by the aid of the telescope, other suns and systems are discerned, all presumably revolving with ours around some common center. - the group Pleiades. And the reasonable suggestion has been made that that center may be the heaven of heavens, the highest heaven, the throne of God."
  Jehovah's Witnesses believed Christ travelled there after his resurrection, and they identified Alcyone as the residence of Almighty God Jehovah himself.

  WTR 12/01/1896 p2075 - "The most reasonable suggestion we know of is that offered in Millennial Dawn, Vol. III, page 327; namely, that heaven is located in or in connection with the heavenly group, Pleiades."

  1908 TKIC p321 ? So wonderful a coincidence convinced him that the date of the Great Pyramid?s building was thus indicated; for a Draconis is no less a symbol of sin and Satan than Pleiades is a symbol of God and the center of the universe.

  1913 BATT p653 ? Then, considering himself as an astronomer at that date, with his pointer fixed upon a Draconis, and considering the ascending passages as though they were a telescope, which they much resemble, he calculated what constellation or what notable star would have been before his telescope thus fixed at he particular date indicated by his pointer, and found that it must have been the Pleiades. The removal of one part of the mountain to the north and the other to the south is significant; the North is the direction of the group Pleiades, the celestial center of the universe, the supposed seat of divine empire.* (* See Vol. III., p. 321)

  1915 "Furthermore, Science declares that there is a far mightier Center, around which these countless millions of suns revolve, accompanied by their planets and satellites. This great Center seems to be associated with the Pleiades, particularly with Alcyone, the central star of this renowned group. For this reason the suggestion has been made that the Pleiades may represent the Residence of Jehovah, the place from which He governs the Universe. This thought gives new force to the question which the Almighty asked the patriarch Job: "Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion? Canst thou bring forth the constellations of the Zodiac in their season?"-- 'Job 38:31,32'. There seem to be fewer stars in the North than in any other part of the heavens. Thus the North seems to have been given a very prominent position, the other points of the compass giving it homage, as it were. This fact was observed by the ancients, as the Prophet Job declares--"He stretcheth out the North over the empty space, and hangeth the earth upon nothing." ('Job 26:7'.) Throughout the Scriptures the North seems to be closely associated with Jehovah's government of the earth. {ZWT

  WTR p5710 - "For this reason the suggestion has been made that the Pleiades may represent the residence of Jehovah, the place from which he governs the universe."

  WT ; p334 - "Some one asked me the other day; Suppose you should be here in 1925 what would you do? I said, I believe I will be home in the Pleiades before then."

  The Finished Mystery, 1926 ed., p. 230 - "Alcyone, the central one of the renowned Pleiadic stars. . . . Alcyone, then, as far as science has been able to perceive, would seem to be 'the midnight throne' in which the whole system of gravitation has its central seat, and from which the Almighty governs his universe."

  "The constellation of the seven stars forming the Pleiades . . . It has been suggested, and with much weight, that one of the stars of that group is the dwelling-place of Jehovah"

  "The constellation of the Pleiades is a small one compared with others . . . But the greatness in size of other stars or planets is small when compared with the Pleiades in importance, because the Pleiades is the place of the eternal throne of God."

  1927 CREA: p94 - "The face of the deep, of course, would be toward the Pleiades, which are claimed to be the habitation of Jehovah."

  1928 RECO p14 - "The constellation of the seven stars forming the Pleiades appears to be the crowning center around which the known systems of the planets revolve even as our sun's planets obey the sun and travel in their respective orbits. It has been suggested, and with much weight, that one of the stars of that group is the dwelling-place of Jehovah and the place of the highest heavens;..

  The constellation of the Pleiades is a small one compared with others which scientific instruments disclose to the wondering eyes of man. But the greatness in size of other stars or planets is small when compared with the Pleiades in importance, because the Pleiades is the place of the eternal throne of God."
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  XQsThaiPoes

  In short JWs believe non of these things. Because of the policy of slowly warming up to something before a change in doctrine I have not idea when they droped this stuff. The 1925 thing burtsed quickly, and all vacinations became acceptable 1974.

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  w53 11/15 p. 703 Questions from Readers ***

  To just what stars or star groups these names refer we do not know today. Hence it is useless to indulge in unprofitable speculations. Incidentally, Pleiades can no longer be considered the center of the universe and it would be unwise for us to try to fix God?s throne as being at a particular spot in the universe. Were we to think of the Pleiades as his throne we might improperly view with special veneration that cluster of stars.?Deut. 4:19; 2 Chron. 2:6; 6:18.

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  g89 2/22 p. 28 From Our Readers ***

  Children

  Dying

  As a doctor, I would like to express my reaction to "Millions of Children Are Dying?What Could Save Them?" (September 22, 1988). I appreciate the measures mentioned in order to check this slaughter: better nutrition (primacy given to breast-feeding) and better hygiene. However, you cite vaccinations as one of the measures intended to save lives. You avoid "getting your feet wet" by stating that Awake! does not recommend one type of medical treatment over another. In my opinion, the fact that you publish this information amounts to taking sides. Is it not dangerous to put community interests ahead of individual interests? The number of morbid, even mortal, complications prove that man has been polluted by vaccinations.

  D. G., M.D., France

  I always find your articles interesting, and I appreciate your review. However, in your September 22 issue, you appear to be badly informed about the effectiveness and dangers of vaccinations.

  J. V., France

  Many

  things people do in seeking improved health are less than desirable. Some take medicines that have undesirable side effects, believing that the benefits outweigh the risks. Many view vaccines similarly. We consider vaccination to be a personal matter, though one must accept any legal consequence of his or her decision.?ED.

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  g95 6/22 p. 9 Can You Trust God?s Promises? ***

  Bible Students, known since 1931 as Jehovah?s Witnesses, also expected that the year 1925 would see the fulfillment of marvelous Bible prophecies. They surmised that at that time the earthly resurrection would begin, bringing back faithful men of old, such as Abraham, David, and Daniel. More recently, many Witnesses conjectured that events associated with the beginning of Christ?s Millennial Reign might start to take place in 1975. Their anticipation was based on the understanding that the seventh millennium of human history would begin then.

  These erroneous views did not mean that God?s promises were wrong, that he had made a mistake. By no means! The mistakes or misconceptions, as in the case of first-century Christians, were due to a failure to heed Jesus? caution, ?You do not know the time.? The wrong conclusions were due, not to malice or to unfaithfulness to Christ, but to a fervent desire to realize the fulfillment of God?s promises in their own time.
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  shamus

  In a nutshell, no.
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  FMZ

  Hmm.. not sure that God would even need to do Pilates, or any other exercise for that matter...

  FMZ
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  Triple A

  *** w53 11/15 p. 703 Questions from Readers ***

  To just what stars or star groups these names refer we do not know today. Hence it is useless to indulge in unprofitable speculations. Incidentally, Pleiades can no longer be considered the center of the universe and it would be unwise for us to try to fix God?s throne as being at a particular spot in the universe. Were we to think of the Pleiades as his throne we might improperly view with special veneration that cluster of stars.?Deut. 4:19; 2 Chron. 2:6; 6:18.

  XQ, that is the quote that I was looking for. It also revieled that they did flop from the previous teaching, which I had previous believed they just let it fad away.

  Thanks,

  Triple A